East Bay

Town of Danville Tells Residents to Prepare for Potential Flooding

Ahead of a storm expected to arrive Thursday, Danville is telling people to prepare for rain, higher winds, downed trees, and loss of power.

NBC Universal, Inc.

Danville issued a storm safety advisory Wednesday afternoon, warning residents to be ready for wet weather expected to arrive Thursday morning. 

Danville has had a particularly rough storm season so far, with maintenance required through the downtown creek area due to bank erosion affecting roadways. Its maintenance department also dealt with dozens of downed trees and slides. 

The town said in a statement Wednesday, "The National Weather Service (NWS) has informed us that another atmospheric river is expected to hit the Bay Area through the weekend and has issued a flood watch for the entire area.”

It also added, "This storm is anticipated to bring 1.5 (to) 4 inches of rain to the East Bay region between Thursday and Sunday. In comparison, the New Year's Eve storm dropped nearly 5 inches of rain in about 12 hours."

The city said flooding could hit low-lying areas. That’s because the storm is expected to be warmer and could cause excessive runoff from melting snow. On top of that, the weather service expects the greatest accumulation of rainfall will be in the mountains. 

"The hydrologic outlook notes that creeks and rivers may rise by 25%, and there may be ponding in low-lying areas," the town's statement said. "Regular maintenance has been performed on town-maintained creeks and drain inlets, but with the strength of the upcoming storm, we advise residents to prepare for potential flooding in low-lying areas. This safety advisory offers tips and suggestions for the community to stay safe during the expected heavy rainfall." 

Town officials say the three main areas of concern are rain and increased winds generating flooding, downed trees, and loss of power. They ask residents to avoid unnecessary travel during the storms, but to avoid driving through flooded intersections if they do drive.  

They also ask residents to remove leaves or debris blocking storm drains to allow storm water to flow through unobstructed into the storm water system. Danville will offer a self-fill sandbag station for community use at 1000 Sherburne Hills Road. They ask residents to limit use to 20 sandbags per household.

To see information on power outages, go to PG&E's outage map.  

To report clogged storm drains, downed trees, or flooding, call Danville maintenance services at (925) 314-3450, or after hours contact non-emergency dispatch at (925) 820-2144. Residents can also make reports online.

Copyright BAYCN - Bay City News
Contact Us